A Little Fall Of Rain
by CloudberryCo
Summary: She knew better. That was the difference between her and Orihime. Slightly sappy one-shot about the relationship between Tatsuki and Ichigo.


**A little fall of rain**

**Author's note:** A little bit of guessing and speculation about all the things that took place before bleach started. Or the things that didn't. Who knows. It's a bit too sappy for my taste in places, but if you can stand it, take a few moments and try to spot the plotline. Hard, isn't it?

Tatsuki had for some reason always had this notion that she and Ichigo were going to end up together. Together, together. Like a couple. They had always been good friends and such. She really didn't have any good reason for thinking that. She didn't even think she felt anything towards him in that way. It just made sense. Logically speaking. When they were old enough.

That was probably why she was so surprised when Orihime had told her she had a crush on Ichigo. A crush. Like another thousands of teenage girls explaining their budding attraction for a boy. It was completely ordinary, and completely illogical. Orihime didn't know Ichigo in the least. But Orihime was like that. A little clueless all around.

"You like Ichigo? Why would you like a stupid troublemaker like him?"

Tatsuki was wise to what this meant. She knew it perfectly well. In the time it took for Orihime to blurt out those three little words that made absolutely no sense whatsoever, any notions Tatsuki had about what she was to Ichigo, and Ichigo was to her vanished. They had to. Because if her best friend liked a guy, Tatsuki could never, ever be anything more to him than she was now. It was like…the code of best friends. You just didn't.

"He always…makes me smile."

Orihime had delivered that answer with a smile of her own. And when she did, for the first time in many years, it took Tatsuki a few moments to realize it wasn't the small goofy clumsy version of Ichigo she was talking about. The version which Tatsuki thought of less and less by every day. No, Orihime was talking about grumpy, grown-up Ichigo. A revelation which rewarded her with an incredulous expression.

"Are you serious?"

But she was. It was more and more plain by every day that went by. Something which also grew more and more plain was that Ichigo had no idea who Orihime was. And vice versa. Orihime cluelessly continue to adore the boy at a distance. Making it easier for Tatsuki to distance herself from the entire situation. And this worked rather well, she thought.

Tatsuki found herself going around Ichigo's house less and less. She used to be there at least once a week, even after his mother died. They lived in the same neighborhood, after all. But since Orihime liked him, Tatsuki felt somehow obliged to clear a small path for her. Even if the girl didn't see it.

"Are you even paying attention?"

Tatsuki's head snapped up. She looked at Ichigo. He was sitting across the table from her, a mountain of homework between them. Orihime wasn't the only one who was completely clueless.

"To you, or to physics?"

"Both, stupid."

Truth was, she hadn't been paying attention to either. He was looking annoyed again. Maybe she would have felt a little bit of resentment towards Orihime, for driving them further apart. Maybe she _did_ feel a little bit of resentment towards Orihime.

"Aww, does little tiny Ichigo feel slighted?"

Maybe, she just couldn't help trying to protect the crying redheads in her life. Ichigo just didn't need her protection anymore. So that left Orihime. And Tatsuki was pretty sure that Orihime wouldn't stop needing her protection any time soon.

"Actually, yeah. You haven't been around for two weeks. I wondered if you fell off the face of the earth or something."

As for Ichigo…well, he'd always be around so she could beat him at videogames.

"Let's go to the arcade then. Calculate the physics of pinball."

He actually looked a little bit happier at that prospect. If you looked closely, you could sometimes see a hint of that old smile trying to break through at times. Tatsuki figured that maybe it wouldn't be her job to bring that back. Maybe, just maybe, he was reserving that right for someone else. Tatsuki at least knew better than to think she could make it happen. She now knew better than to try to make anything happen.

"Tatsuki…we're still friends, right?"

"The hell kind of question is that? Of course we are, dumbass!"


End file.
